A Chilean man accused of sexually exploiting a 14-year-old girl online was arrested by Glendora police and Homeland Security Investigations when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Police say they believe the 21-year-old, who booked an Airbnb near Glendora, intended to assault the girl. Citing privacy concerns, police declined to name where the victim lives.
He was booked on suspicion of contacting a minor for a sexual offense, engaging in lewd conduct with a minor, sending harmful matter to a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and producing child pornography, Glendora police Lt. Matt Fenner said.
The man and the victim, who was then 13, met on Roblox this year, Fenner said, adding the suspect was playing on the online game platform or looking for a victim.
Over the next several months, he allegedly manipulated and groomed the girl through various online apps, which included Zoom, police said. Representatives of all of the online apps cooperated with investigators, Fenner said.
The relationship was discovered early on and it ended, Fenner said. The victim’s parents blocked the suspect.
Police had received an anonymous tip in April about the online relationship, which was linked via an IP address traced back to Chile.
Police reached out to Homeland Security.
“Homeland Security Investigations informed us he had purchased a ticket to fly to the U.S.,” Fenner said.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the suspect when he arrived at the airport. Police and Homeland Security Investigations took him into custody without incident.
On Wednesday, the suspect was in custody at the Glendora police jail.
